In this episode, we are joined by Professor Pedro Valente Jr.. Topics include self defense, practical training methods, lessons learned from Grandmaster Helio and an in-depth history lesson in Jiu-Jitsu! Click “Read More” for show notes!
- His beginnings
- His father
- His time spent with Grandmaster Helio
- Can courage be taught?
- The relationships built in Jiu-Jitsu
- Grandmaster Helio’s moral requirements to be a Black Belt
- Rectitude
- The 7-5-3 code
- Grandmaster Helio’s “Japanese Soul”
- Why he teaches private lesson in private rooms
- A story of Grandmaster Helio that shows the value of a healthy lifestyle
- Diet and discipline
- Why Helio spent extra time with him to prepare him to move to the US
- His early days teaching in Miami
- The reception of Jiu-Jitsu in the US in the early days
- The infamous “Judo club invasion” story
- The importance of the early UFC’s and the Gracie Challenge
- His new state of the art academy in Miami
- The secret to the Valente brother’s success
- Why academies fail
- The origins of the Fighting Foundations program
- Why he feels a structured curriculum is key to an academy’s success
- In the age of the internet, is roadside visibility as important for academies as it once was?
- Why academy owners shouldn’t focus on competing gyms and just focus on themselves
- A Jiu-Jitsu history lesson
- Did Jiu-Jitsu change that much when it arrived in Brazil?
- Rivalry within the Gracie family
- Why is Jiu-Jitsu still the best self defense system in modern times?
- The value of competition
- Realistically training self defense
- Why your training must have consequences for failure
- You will fight the way you train
- Sport Jiu-Jitsu on the street
- Jiu-Jitsu’s unique ability to end a fight without hurting your opponent
- The interesting rank he currently wears and the story behind it
- Jiu-Jitsu’s bad reputation in Brazil in the 90’s
- Being in Royce’s corner at UFC 1 and again for his final fight in 2016
- Working with Alistair Overeem and other MMA fighters
- His desired legacy
